Shaykh Abdulqadir al-Jilani (RA) on the Month of Shaban

https://www.lastprophet.info/shaykh-abdulqadir-aljilani-on-the-month-of-shaban

On the Special Merit of the Month of Sha’ban

‘A’isha, the wife of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace, and may He be well pleased with her), is reported as having said:

Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to fast until we would say he was never going to stop fasting, and he would go so long without fasting that we would say he was never going to fast, but I never saw Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) continue a fast from the beginning to the end of any month except the month of Ramadan, [apart from which] I never saw him do more fasting in any month than he did in Sha’ban.

‘A’isha (may Allah be well pleased with her) is also reported as having said:

Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to fast until we would say he was never going to stop fasting, and go so long without fasting that we would say he was never going to fast. The fasting he liked best was that he did in Sha’ban, so I said to him: “O Messenger of Allah, how is it I always see you fasting in Sha’ban?” and he said (Allah bless him and give him peace): “O ‘A’isha, it is the month in which the Angel of Death has to note down the name of anyone whose soul he must take before the year is out, so I would rather he did not record my name except while I am fasting.”

Umm Salama (may Allah be well pleased with her) is reported as having said: In no other month, apart from Ramadan, did Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) fast more often than in Sha’ban. And that was because each Sha’ban, all who must die in the course of that year have their names transcribed from the list of the living onto that of the dead, and a man may embark on a journey even while his name is listed among those about to die.

Anas [ibn Malik] (may Allah be well pleased with him) once said:

When asked about the most meritous fasting, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Fasting in Sha’ban in honor of Ramadan.”

‘Ubaidu’llah ibn Qais once heard ‘A’isha (may Allah be well pleased with her) say:

The dearest of months to Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was Sha’ban, which he would link to Ramadan.

According to ‘Abdu’llah (may Allah be well pleased with him), Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

Anyone who fasts on the last Monday of Sha’ban will be granted forgiveness.

– meaning the last Monday that falls within it, not as the very last day of the month, for it is forbidden to anticipate the month [of Ramadan] by one or two days.

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be well pleased with him) is the authority for the report that Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

It is called Sha’ban simply because it is juxtaposed [yansha'ibu] to Ramadan, containing many blessings, while Ramadan is so called because it scorches [yurmidu] sins.

Allah (Exalted is He) has said: Your Lord creates and chooses what He wills. (28:68)

Thus Allah (Exalted is He) has selected four out of each kind of thing, then He has chosen one of the four:

From among the Angels, He selected Gabriel [Jibril], Michaeil [Mika'il], Israfil and ‘Azra’il, then he chose Gabriel from these four.

From all the Prophets (peace be upon them), the four He selected were Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (Allah bless them all, and give them peace), then of these He chose Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace).

The four He selected from among the Companions (may Allah be well pleased with them) were Abu Bak’r, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman and ‘Ali, and His preferred choice was Abu Bak’r (may Allah be well pleased with him).

The four mosques: The Sanctuary Mosque [by the Ka'ba in Mecca], al-Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem], the Mosque of Medina the Ennobled City, and the Mosque of Mount Sinai. Of these he chose the Sanctuary Mosque [al-Masjid al-Haram].

The four days: The Day of Breaking Fast [Yawm al-Fitr], the Day of Sacrifice [Yawm al-Adha], the Day of ‘Arafa, and the Day of ‘Ashura’. Of these He then chose the Day of ‘Arafa.

The four nights: The night of Absolution [Lailat al-Bara'a], the Night of Power [Lailat al-Qadr], the Night of Friday Congregation [Lailat al-Juma'a], and the Night of the Festival [Lailat al-Id]. Of these He chose the Night of Power.

The four sites: Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, and the Mosques of the Tribes [Masajid al-'Asha'ir]. Of these He chose Mecca.

The four mountains: Uhud, Sinai, Likam, and Lebanon [Lubnan]. Of these He chose Mount Sinai.

The four rivers: Jaihun, Saihun, the Euphrates [al-Furat] and the Nile [an-Nil]. Of these He chose the Euphrates.

The four months: Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan, and al-Muharram. Of these He chose the month of Sha’ban, and made it the Prophet’s own month (Allah bless him and give him peace). So, just as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is the most excellent of Prophets, his month is the most excellent of months.

According to Abu Huraira (may Allah be well pleased with him), the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said: Sha’ban is my month, Rajab is Allah’s month, and Ramadan is the month of my Community. Sha’ban is the expiator, while Ramadan is the purifier.

He also said (Allah bless him and give him peace):

Sha’ban is a month between Rajab and Ramadan. People tend to neglect it, but that is when the deeds of His servants ascends to the Lord of All the Worlds, so I would rather mine rose up while I am fasting.

According to Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be well pleased with him), the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

The excellence of Rajab over other months is like the excellence of the Qur’an over all other speech, while the excellence of Sha’ban over other months is like my excellence over the rest of the Prophets, and the excellence of Ramadan over other months is like the excellence of Allah (Exalted is He) over all His creatures.

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be well pleased with him) is also reported as having said:

“When the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) beheld the new moon of Sha’ban, they would immerse themselves in reading their copies of the Qur’an. The Muslims would pay the alms-due [zakat] assessed on their wealth, thereby providing the means for the weak and the poor to fortify themselves in preparation for the fasting of the month of Ramadan. The governors would summon the prison inmates, to carry out the sentence on those convicted of major offences under Islamic law, and so set the rest free. Businessmen would set about paying their debts and collecting their dues. Then, when they beheld the new moon of Ramadan, they would bathe themselves and devote themselves to worship.”

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On the Meaning of the Five Arabic Letters of the Word Sha’ban.

The word Sha’ban [in the Arabic script] is spelt with five letter: shin, ‘ain, ba’, alif and nun. The shin stands for sharaf [nobility], the ‘ain for ‘uluww[sublimity], the ba’ for birr [piety], alif for ulfa [harmonious intimacy], and the nun for nur [radiant light].

These are the gifts from Allah (Exalted is He) to His servant in this month. It is a month in which treasures are laid open, in which blessings are sent down, in which faults are forsworn, in which sins are expiated, and in which benedictions are multiplied upon Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), the best of human creatures.

This is the month of blessings upon the Chosen Prophet. Allah (Exalted is He) has said: Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe, invoke blessings upon him and salute him with a worthy salutation. (33:56)

The blessing from Allah is mercy; from angels, intercession and petition for forgiveness; and from the believers, supplication and appreciation.

According to Mujahid (may Allah be well pleased with him): “The blessing from Allah is prosperity and virtue; from the angels, help and support; and from the believers, compliance and respect.”

It was Ibn ‘Ata’ who said: “The blessing on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) from Allah (Exalted is He) is conjunction, from the angels it is tender care, and from the believers it is following with affection.”

As someone else put it: “The blessing of the Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) upon His Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is the enhancement of respect. The blessing of the angels upon him (Allah bless him and give him peace) is the display of gracious favor. The blessing of his Community upon him (Allah bless him and give him peace) is the request for intercession.”

As he himself (Allah bless him and give him peace) has told us:

When someone pronounces a single blessing on me, Allah blesses him ten times.

Far from being negligent during this month, therefore, every conscientious believer is obliged to exert himself in preparation for the coming month of Ramadan, using the days that remain to get clear of sins and repent those committed in the past. One should beseech Allah (Exalted is He) in the month of Sha’ban. One should appeal to Allah (Exalted is He) through the owner of the month, Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), until the corruption of one’s heart is corrected, and the sickness of one’s inner being is cured.

This must be done without delay and not put off until tomorrow, for the days are three: yesterday, which is a date in history [ajal]; today, which is a time for action ['amal]; and tomorrow, which is a hopeful expectation [amal], for whether you will get there or not is beyond your ken. Thus yesterday is a caution, today is an opportunity, and tomorrow is a risk.

The month are likewise three: Rajab, now past and gone beyond return; Ramadan, awaiting in a future you may not live to see; and in between we have Sha’ban, so let us seize this opportunity for worshipful devotion.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said to a man (some say it was ‘Abdu’llah ibn ‘Umar al-Khattab, may Allah be well pleased with him) by way of stern advice: Make the most of five before five: youth before old age; health before sickness; wealth before poverty; ease before business, and life before death.

-Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Sufficient Provision for the Seekers of the Path of Truth (Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq)